


Different Coins

by SecondSilk



Category: Harry Potter - Rowling
Genre: Community: omniocular, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-10-10
Updated: 2010-10-10
Packaged: 2017-10-12 13:36:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 923
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/125433
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SecondSilk/pseuds/SecondSilk
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>History can repeat itself. One can always find parallels.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Different Coins

**Author's Note:**

> For the Omniocular random two characters challenge. I got Colin and Quirrell. This took about eighteen month to write.  
> Beta-ed by Earlwyn and Such_Heights.  
> The title comes from the saying: Love and hate are two sides of completely different coins.

_"He's not even as good as Quirrell."_

Colin wasn't sure how this could be true. How did you get to be better than Professor Lockhart? Their Defence Professor was so handsome and charming. His smile made most girls, and some boys, stare dreamingly at him. And most importantly, on top of his looks and charm and smiles, he told great stories. Colin had read all his books, and listened avidly in every class. You could tell that he had been there; he had seen all the exciting magical things in the world. Just like Harry had. But Harry never told his stories. There was just Lockhart, and Colin hoped one day to be able to see even a glimpse of what Lockhart had seen.

 

 _"At least he's better than Professor Burke."_

Quirinus doubted this. All the first years had heard stories about how drunk Professor Burke had been most of last year, but Professor Yaxley spoke too softly and used words that didn't make any sense. There was supposed to be a curse on the position, which could be nasty, but Quirinus would be glad to see the end of this teacher. Not only did Yaxley speak so quietly one could hardly hear him over the scratching of quills, but he used words no first year understood. Quirinus had every book Madam Pince had been prepared to give him on the Dark Arts, and he was sure that Professor Yaxley had never stepped outside of his own garden, let alone into the real wildness. Quirinus promised himself that as soon as he was able, he would seek out real darkness to defeat.

 

 _"Make way, seriously evil wizard coming through!"_

Colin ducked his head and kept close to the walls. It wasn't right to say nasty things about Harry. Harry was the hero; he was bound to get caught up in all the talk about Big Bad Things, but Colin knew that in the end Harry would fix it. Once he got out of the hospital wing. Colin was careful as he crept threw the dark school corridors clutching the bunch of grapes. There was a sound behind him, and he spun around, reaching for his wand. He saw the tail of a giant snake disappearing down a corridor. He pocketed his wand and pulled out his camera to creep after it. Maybe, if he got a photo, he could show Harry and Harry would be able to defeat it, and Colin would even be in the story.

 

 _"You're not going to find anything more evil than a bowtruckle."_

Quirinus knew that he was probably being over cautious. The owner of the inn he had stayed in had laughed at him. But even if the forest here was completely innocuous, he knew he had to start somewhere. He had read the entire restricted section of Hogwarts Library and was determined to test his knowledge against real experience. Inside the forest it was cool and quiet, and Quirinus began to find it quite pleasant. As he walked deeper, coolness gave way to darkness, and quiet to strange sounds. He continued deeper, even so, and the sounds began to thicken. Quirinus lit his wand and discovered a whole nest of snakes writhing on the ground. He had known there was something worth exploring in the forest. He bent to touch one.

 

 _"Books can be misleading."_

It was like drowning backwards. Colin could smell disinfectant and feel the air coming slowly into his lungs. His memory was frozen at the last image he had seen, a pair of large yellow eyes, framed perfectly through his camera lens. That was all he had seen for the last six months, although he could barely register the fact that time had passed. He had moved, certainly, because now he was in a bed. He opened his eyes and looked at the ceiling of the infirmary with a pleased sigh. It was still disappointing, he thought, to have missed out on the all excitement of the school year and discovering who was behind all the attacks. But much safer, too, to be in the infirmary. Colin decided, before he blinked against the light, that he was going to be the best in his class at Defence Against the Dark Arts next year.

 

 _"Professor Dumbledore will back tomorrow."_

He felt as though he were being turned inside out. Teaching had been more difficult than Quirinus ever imagined. The Weasley twins' jokes and Malfoy's derisive comments wore him down daily, but it was his master's demands and Snape's suspicious insinuations that caught him at the throat. He had been so proud when Dumbledore had offered him the position, had been proud when his master had chosen him for the mission. It had been horrible to fail the first time. Now, he was so close to finally achieving what his master wanted. Dumbledore was tricky, but he was sure it would be revealed in time. Not enough time; he was interrupted by the Potter boy. Potter's surprise was almost as gratifying as his fear, but neither was as pleasurable as his Master's feelings when is discovered that the boy had the stone. How thoughtful of Dumbledore to send them both together! When Harry grabbed his face in retaliation, Quirinus felt ill with the pain and with the sure knowledge of his master's abandonment. Even the loss of his anger caused Quirinus grief. When he turned back to find himself he discovered there was nothing left but a set of robes stained with Unicorn blood.


End file.
